Early morning in Hoi An Ngoc Tran By Ngoc Tran in Hoi An Leaving the guest house situated on Nguyen Hue Street, I went to the market in tranquil Hoi An in the early morning. It was drizzling; the streets were not crowded. Some pupils were going to school; some people were sitting drinking coffee at the corner of Phan Chau Trinh and Nguyen Hue Streets. From time to time I saw a motorcyclist carrying goods to the market. Hardly any shops were open. On the pavement of Nguyen Hue Street near the market, some people were displaying their goods, such as vegetables, dry green bean cakes, muffins (specialties of the Ancient Town), and coconut candy. Also on the pavement, a woman was displaying her ceramic items, ready to welcome customers. Dang Thi Thong, 41 years old, is the mother of 11 and has been stuck on the same spot for the last 18 years. She sells various ceramic items for souvenirs. Her products were bought from Hanh Ha Ceramics Village, about a 5-7-minute motorbike ride … [Read more...] about Early morning in Hoi An
Le hoi
When the hoi polloi take ownership of royal music
Don ca tai tu remains a 'commoner' at heart as it awaits UNESCO recognition A Don ca tai tu band performs at the Binh Quoi Tourism Resort in Ho Chi Minh City. UNESCO is expected to examine the genre and decide whether or not to give the World Intangible Heritage status at a meeting in Bali later this month. Thanh Dien came to Ho Chi Minh City early this year in search of a job and found one washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen at a restaurant in Binh Chanh District. The 24-year-old native of An Giang Province was willing to do any job in the city to cover daily living expenses and, if possible, save some money and help his poor family back home. It was hard work and the remuneration of less than VND2 million (US$95) a month barely covered his basic necessities in the city - food and accommodation. But he was willing to stick out for a while and see what happens. In his spare time, Dien indulged in his hobby, playing a folk instrument, a pentatonic guitar known as luc huyen cam, … [Read more...] about When the hoi polloi take ownership of royal music
HOI AN ANCIENT TOWN A world cultural heritage site
HOI AN ANCIENT TOWN A world cultural heritage site Hoi an is located 30km south of Da Nang city, and 60km northeast of Tam Ky. Hoi An used to be an international trade center by sea in the eastwest area in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was the busiest trading port in Dang Trong region of Viet Nam under the reign of Nguyen as merchants from Japan, China, Portugal, Spain, Holland often landed for exchanging and purchasing comodities. In the historical progress of establishment and development, Hoi An was known by foreign merchants as … [Read more...] about HOI AN ANCIENT TOWN A world cultural heritage site
Nhon Hoi marks successful investment year
Talking Shop (13-09-2007) Nhon Hoi marks successful investment year The Nhon Hoi Economic Zone (EZ) in the southern province of Binh Dinh has attracted billions of US dollars in investment, making it among the most successful in the country. Chairman of the EZ's management board, Man Ngoc Ly spoke with Viet Nam News reporter Le Thu Ngan about the zone's performance. … [Read more...] about Nhon Hoi marks successful investment year
One man’s quest to revive Hoi An tradition
Hoi An is no longer about just lanterns: an audacious businessman is trying to revive the town's centuries-old tradition of silk production by creating a "silk village" with a million dollars of his own money. … [Read more...] about One man’s quest to revive Hoi An tradition